Warning: Check your tent stakes before a storm hit at Lake Tahoe

I was camped at Emerald Bay last month and a big wind came up around 2am. Three of my cheap aluminum stakes bent sideways and my tent almost flew into the lake. What brand of stakes do you trust for high wind situations?

2 comments

2 Comments

mila_sullivan4d ago

I mean, not to be that person, but cheap aluminum stakes aren't really the issue here. It's more about the shape and length. The really thin, round aluminum ones are basically useless in anything but soft dirt. You want stakes with a wider surface area or a V shape. I've had good luck with the gray plastic MSR stakes for like five years now, they're way tougher than they look. For really hard ground or big winds, those thick shepherd's hook stakes made of steel are your best bet, but they're a pain to pound in. Idk, maybe it's just me but I always carry a mix of different types now.

garcia.casey3d ago

Nah you're totally right. I learned that lesson the hard way after a windy night in the desert. Woke up to my tent half collapsed and two of those skinny round stakes bent to crap. The gray MSR ones are solid, I've got a set that's held up way longer than I expected. But honestly for really packed ground I just bring a couple of those thick steel hook stakes too. Yeah they're heavy and a pain to drive in but they don't budge once they're set. Mix and match is the only way to go if you camp in different spots.